Feelings State Examples for FSAP

by Dana Terrell, LCSW, EAC

These samples of the unique feeling states people experienced during some of their most exciting or intense experiences with their additions, have been found to help in understanding what we are searching for when your EMDR therapist strives to identify a feeling state with you.

All we can do is do our best to identify it. Then we try the protocol. If the feeling state connection to the addiction doesn’t reduce soon, we need to work again to better “nail” the feeling state.

Also, please be assured that the feeling state is not bad, and you don’t have to give it up. In fact, when the connection to the addictive behavior or substance is reduced, you will find more and better (less negative side effects) ways to feel that feeling state. (That is the Future Template part of the protocol).

Note: See the variety of feeling states involved in various addictions. Sometimes people seek the same feeling state in a variety of addictions. One example is set off in bold to illustrate this point.